October 5th, 2003

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Canada
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I Survived Calgary

I’m back from Calgary. I actually got back from Calgary on Friday, but had a very busy weekend, so I’ve only gotten around to posting now. A few thoughts on good ol’ Cowtown.

  • I don’t mean this to sound critical, but it’s kind of unremarkable. It’s very spread out, got a lot of 70s architecture, and a prarie feel to it.
  • The city’s fore fathers displayed a real lack of creativity when naming the streets. Of course, the upside of having numbered streets and avenues is that you always know where you are and how far you are from your destination. That latter point isn’t always a blessing–while walking I kind of like being surprising when I’ve arrived, having forgotten which street comes first.
  • I blew off a couple of conference sessions and went to the Chinook Centre, a palatial mall out in the suburbs. At their 18-theatre multiplex, I watched the lousy Cold Creek Manor in matinee. The movie was crap, but my movie-watching experience was awesome–I was the only person in the theatre. How cool is that? It’s a good thing the movie wasn’t scarier, or I would’ve been freaked right out.
  • All of the grates on the sidewalk in Calgary have odd feet shapes welded into them. Can anybody tell me what those are for? Are they functional or are they just quirky artifice?

Comments: 5 Responses so far

Chan
October 5th, 2003
11:22 pm

Street names - that’s what you get for a city full of engineers. You should go to Edmonton, they started the 0 mark in the southeast.

Grates - the ice! It may have been 23 degrees while you were here, but them grates can get pretty icy come winter.

[Reply]

Darren
October 5th, 2003
11:42 pm

Hi,
Sorry I missed you for tea…I didn’t actually check my site until today. Thanks for the explanation on the little feet. DB.

[Reply]

twostep1235
October 6th, 2003
8:12 am

Actually the feet on the grates are so that ladies with high heels can walk on the grates without getting the heels caught.

[Reply]

Sue
October 6th, 2003
11:12 am

I’ve actually seen someone in Calgary get stuck in a grate… she was wearing high heels and didn’t step on the little feet thingies. It was really funny. After a while, you learn to step on the feet even if you’re wearing snowboots.

[Reply]

Chan
October 6th, 2003
9:40 pm

Oh that makes more sense. Now I’m going to go grate watching. Thanks!

[Reply]

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